


studio boy

by renjuniper



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Crush, Crushing, Falling In Love, Love Triangles, M/M, Music, Pining, Singing, Slow Burn, Unrequited Love, Yearning, haechan is whipped for renjun, mark is whipped for haechan, markhyuck, nomin, renhyuck, singing lessons, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:40:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28092543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renjuniper/pseuds/renjuniper
Summary: mark lee is a simple boy. he wants people he can't have. and he hates himself for it.haechan is oblivious. he's only got eyes for huang renjun, his clueless vocal coach.how on earth will mark survive watching his crush fall harder for someone else every single day?he'll just have to glance through the studio window.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Kudos: 9





	1. Mark

**Author's Note:**

> hi guys!! this is my first ff on here so idek if anyone will read this but if you are thank you so much!!  
> -renjuniper

he only saw his face for a second.

it wasn't enough time to properly make out his features, but the feeling mark got in his chest when they locked eyes was enough pressure to crack his heart into a million pieces. 

who was he? mark lee had to find out. 

but he didn't have time. he was already late to his shift at nam convenience, and if he was late one more time he was sure he'd be fired on sight.

but passing by that recording studio window awakened something in him. 

-

Chapter One

mark lee wasn't the type to get crushes. he thought they were a complete waste of time, a mind occupier that destroyed any sort of productivity that mark attained. why spend time thinking about a person, yearning for a person, missing a person? it's a recipe for disaster, something that he had watched his friends experience millions of times before. only one of those instances worked, and it was between jeno and jaemin, but in mark's mind, they didn't count because they had been attached at the hip for as long as he could remember. 

because of this mentality, mark found himself to be stone-cold to any romantic interest he met, and they always ended up hating him for it. he couldn't help himself, even when he knew that they were a good fit for him. his friends battered on him for it all of the time. 

"mark hyung, you really should try looking for a significant other. it could help you fill that deep dark void in your soul" jaemin teased, punching him lightly and then sharing his laugh with jeno. their eye smiles never failed to brighten mark's mood, even if they were teasing him. 

"wow jaemin, you're a real fucking comedian you know that?" mark rolled his eyes dramatically and shoved him back. 

"are you sure there's not anyone in your life you have an interest in?" jeno asked, sounding genuinely curious.

mark's mind immediately flashed to the boy in the recording studio. 

"no, honestly guys. i don't even think about dating. it's a waste of time, and you guys know me. love isn't worth it."

jeno and jaemin had a flabbergasted look on their faces. 

"wow... mark lee, i'm offended" jaemin grabbed onto jeno's hand and moved it to his heart. "we're offended" 

jeno laughed into jaemin as if he was his source of air. he had one of those laughs that were always genuine, even if the joke wasn't funny. he matched jaemin perfectly because jaemin knew just what to say to make jeno laugh every time. sometimes mark found himself longing for a relationship like theirs, but he knew that he wasn't cut out for it. the emotional rollercoasters, the attachment issues, the constant worrying about how the other was doing. it was too much unnecessary stress. mark could handle himself and himself only. 

but still, he caught himself thinking about studio boy. 

"yo, mark, you okay man?" jeno tilted his head and looked at mark with caring eyes. mark snapped out of his self-induced daydream. 

"yeah! sorry about that, it was a long day at work"

"any hot customers come in? datable customers?"

"would you shut up!" mark tried to be angry but he couldn't help but crack a smile at jaemin's snarky comment.

mark definitely didn't have a CRUSH on studio boy. 

did he?

mark wrapped his blanket tighter around him as he sunk into the couch. jeno and jaemin were submerged in the movie, but mark could only stare at the moving pixels on the screen. his thoughts were already occupied.


	2. Hyuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that these chapters are so short! i'm trying to keep it a little fast paced. this chapter is in hyucks pov! i hope you like it!

hyuck threw his headphones off in frustration. he just couldn't get this riff right. his throat was tired, his eye bags were dark, and his chest felt heavy. he wanted to go home so bad. but he had to finish this song first. 

"here, hyuck, i'll ask you this time. what do you think you're doing wrong?"

"i really don't know hyung." hyuck sighed and looked up at renjun's kind but pitying eyes. "i've literally been at this riff for like 15 minutes now. can we take a break and get tteokbokki?" haechan did his signature pout and used the stupid baby voice that renjun hated. 

"hyuck! we have to get this assignment submitted by tonight for your choir class! there isn't time for breaks!" renjun was getting serious now. hyuck hated when renjun scolded him. he always took it personally, even though he knew renjun just naturally got more irritated than others. he would beat himself up about it over and over again, telling himself that renjun hated him, or that he would end up quitting being his vocal coach because hyuck was so bad. hyuck was always stuck in his own head, on a battlefield fighting his intrusive thoughts. 

"listen to me," renjun grabbed onto haechans shoulders, shaking him a bit, snapping him back into reality. "hyuck, you're an amazing singer. probably one of the best i have ever worked with. i know you can do this. i've seen you do it a million times before. can you try one more time? for me?"

why did renjun say the last part? why did he need to clarify? those two words hung about haechan's head like a bucket of water about to overflow. hyuck couldn't help feeling winded by the sudden act of intimacy. 

"ok, renjun. ill try again" hyuck got up from his seat and grabbed his headphones that were astray. he entered the live room and prepared himself to start singing.

as he adjusted his headphones, his eyes met another. a boy, about the same height as him, with messy black hair that was getting in his eyes as he was running frantically. well, it was more of an awkward half-jog half-run, and hell was it funny to watch. hyuck didn't understand how he was able to lock eyes with him that fast. 

just like that, the boy was off to who knows where. hyuck shrugged off the peculiar moment and warmed up his vocal cords for the riff he was desperate to accomplish. he used all of his ability to sing the bundle of notes and after the riff was finished, he felt as if he had lost his voice completely.

he looked up to see renjun clapping joyfully like he had witnessed a miracle. hyuck let out a sigh of relief. the final piece of the song was done. now haechan could step back and let renjun compose the final song and put all of the parts together.

hyuck entered the control room and eagerly went to hug renjun. renjun was surprised by the gesture but pulled himself into haechan and patted his back. hyuck swore his heart skipped a beat. they had never hugged before, and although it wasn't the craziest gesture, he still felt his heart in his throat when he smelled renjun's cologne. 

why did hyuck have to be this way with every boy he met? he couldn't keep a single friend without crushing them at some point. it was humiliating. and hyuck wasn't the type to conceal his feelings, either. when he liked somebody, his eyes melted completely, and his usually eager, chaotic personality would grow softer, so infatuated with the entire being before him. he listened better. so because of that, his crushes would always notice, even before hyuck would mention anything that would allude to the feeling. hyuck had had boyfriends, many actually. but once he actually obtained the guy, his feelings would fade, and he'd crave a new adventure. he knew that his feelings for renjun would probably disappear if he acted on them. he craved a challenge. and he felt so, so, bad about it.

renjun pulled away from the hug first, with a big smile on his face. 

"hyuck, that was insane! you literally nailed it. now i just gotta put these pieces together and i can also submit it for you if you want"

hyuck smiled at the act of kindness. "that'd be great! thanks so much, hyung, by the way. sorry i am such a pain in the ass sometimes"

renjun laughed. "don't worry, im used to it. now go home! this will only take like two seconds"

hyuck was hesitant, one because he didn't want renjun to struggle for too long, and two because he didn't want to leave his presence. "are you sure? i can stay and keep you company if you want" hyuck was mentally crossing his fingers that renjun would say yes.

"im sure! besides, i've kinda run out of social battery for the day. but ill see you tomorrow, same time okay? we gotta practice that next piece"

hyuck's chest sank. he didn't expect renjun to be eager to keep him around, but it still hurt to hear it out loud. he grabbed his bag and said thanks to renjun before exiting the studio. he wasn't hungry for tteokbokki anymore.


	3. Mark

"dude, so like, how's it going with that girl? i forgot her name," mark threw the basketball to jaehyun. he dribbled the ball closer to the post, chose a spot to stand, and shot it into the basket. mark was losing terribly in their game of HORSE.

"eh, things are good. we're pretty chill right now. not too serious or anything," jaehyun pointed out where mark needed to stand to shoot the ball.

jaehyun was one of mark's few straight friends. you couldn't get much straighter than jaehyun. he had experimented with a couple of guys in the past, but he always went back to the ladies. jaehyun was like mark's chill older brother. he was never overbearing or overprotective, and he let mark smoke with him and jaehyun's friend johnny sometimes. jaehyun wasn't too good with advice though, especially not about guys. he was so reserved most of the time that mark never really knew what jaehyun was thinking, so he'd have to pry it out of him sometimes. 

jaehyun didn't seem too interested in keeping the topic on the girl he was seeing, so mark just kept his mouth shut and continued the game. he shot the ball from the place jaehyun had and the ball bounced off the rim and rolled into the grass.

"why do i suck so fucking bad?" mark yelled annoyingly while jaehyun just chuckled, his dimples showing themselves. mark had always been so envious of jaehyun's looks. he was an absolute catch, not a flaw on the mans whole being. mark wasn't insecure, but looking at jaehyun made him the least bit jealous. 

mark remembered something. he looked down on his watch to confirm. "yep, its 4:30. sorry man, but i gotta go get ready for work" 

"aw come on man, we didn't even finish HORSE. i was so ready to beat you" jaehyun looked defeated, but he still held his signature eye smile. 

"i really don't wanna be late dude! im for real about to lose my job" mark joked, waving to jaehyun as he jogged back toward the direction of his house from the park.

when he got home, he rushed to his room to change out of his hoodie and basketball shorts and freshened up before he put on his work uniform. mark desperately tried to fix his messy hair and felt like screaming when it didn't move the way he wanted it to. 

why was he so stressed? no, mark knew the reason. he just didn't want to admit it. he would not peer into the studio window on his way to work. he would not try extra hard on his hair today, he would not put on his nice cologne, he would not practice his facial expressions in the mirror before he left. 

spoiler alert. mark did all of those things. 

and he beat himself up over it all the way to work. he didn't even know this boy! he'd never seen him before that one moment. so why wouldn't he leave his mind? mark just wanted his brain to shut up. he blamed jaemin and jeno for egging him on about it. 

the studio was about a block away now, and mark could see the sign above the building. with every step, his heartbeat grew faster, and his hands were sweating profusely. he brushed them on his pants, adjusted his hair, and braced himself for the window. mark's eyes widened slightly in the search of the blonde boy, and his mouth opened involuntarily as his eyes scanned inside. 

there he was, reading a piece of paper, probably sheet music, with his head facing away from the window. a shorter boy sat next to him, explaining something using an abundance of hand gestures. neither of them noticed mark walking by, and mark couldn't tell if he was disappointed or relieved. mark facepalmed himself after he passed them, angry for looking in the first place. he probably looked like such a creep, a stalker even. why did he do that?

mark was looking forward to distracting himself during his shift. restocking shelves and cashing out customers kept his mind from wandering until it hit 7:00, and there was a weird halt in customers. he was left with his thoughts in the empty store. 

what was his name? that was one thing that never really left his mind. it would be easier to know it than to call him "studio boy". mark wondered if studio boy was a famous singer or something. and who was that other guy with him? friend? coach? boyfriend?

he slammed his fist on the counter as if to punch the thoughts out of his scrambled brain. almost at the same time, the welcome bell of the store ringed, and mark felt relieved to concentrate on something else again.

there were two boys, and he recognized them immediately.

fuck.

studio boy was wearing a black bucket hat over his fluffy blonde hair, which made his eyes basically hidden under the abundance of texture. he was looking at the other boy, was busy cracking a joke that mark couldn't hear. 

he couldn't believe this was happening. he, mark lee, alone in the store with studio boy and his potential lover. no no no, this can't be happening.

mark contemplated saying welcome in but decided it'd be best to say as few words as possible. he felt like a fool, absolutely pathetic. mark lee doesn't get crushes.

but he could hear studio boy laughing in the aisle, probably at a hilarious joke from his partner. his laughter sounded playful and golden, and mark could understand why he was a singer. if his laugh had the power to sound so good, he figured his singing voice had to sound a hundred times better. 

oh god, they were coming up to the counter. 

mark straightened his posture and attempted a smile at the boys, which turned out lopsided and forced. but studio boy didn't seem phased, he looked at mark with bright eyes as he placed the snacks he was buying on the counter. he reached into the pocket of his joggers and then patted the others, in attempt to find a wallet. 

"oh shit, i must've left it at home today," studio boy exclaimed, looking over to the other with a dumbstruck face and the slightest of smirks peaking from his mouth. the other rolled his eyes and sighed, making an effort to be dramatic. "hyuck, why do you always do this? i feel it should be second nature by now" 

hyuck. so that was his name. 

hyuck shrugged, looking clueless, but also like he succeeded at something. the boy sighed after seeing that hyuck didn't have an explanation. he put his own snacks down too and pulled out his wallet.

this whole time, mark had just been watching the conversation play out, and he forgot that he had to actually ring them up. he frantically started scanning the items and put them into a plastic bag.

"it'll be $14.81." the boy handed mark his card and hyuck started to hop in place, seemingly eager to enjoy the snacks. "thank you renjun hyung!" hyuck said, grabbing his arm and petting it like a dog. 

mark gave the card and the bag to renjun and told them to have a good day. he took one more look at the now named studio boy as they exited the store. as the door shut and the bell rang again, mark released the breath he had been holding for the past 6 minutes.

did hyuck recognize him? it felt weird calling him his actual name in his head. 

he and renjun seemed pretty close. but it could be a friendly type of close... 

did he say the right things? wait, who was he kidding? he barely said anything. 

should he have said more?

mark begged his head to shut up. he couldn't wait to fall asleep tonight to truly stop thinking about this random boy he knew absolutely nothing about.

but he was cute. mark could admit he was cute.


End file.
